ABSTRACT
The body may be seen as the one thing the self truly owns and the one medium, therefore, through which we can strongly assert this self. "Tattooing sits within the skin, as the skin sits within the frontier of culture and self". The practice of skin lightening is far from new and has been practised for many years all over the world. References to African-American women using powders and skin bleaches, for example, appeared in the press as early as the 1850s. Long-term hydroquinone use can lead to ochronosis, a disfiguring condition resulting in blue-black discolouration of the skin. In addition, the overuse of topical steroids can lead to eczema, bacterial and fungal infections, Cushing's syndrome, and even skin atrophy. In short, the individual who uses methods of skin lightening is often an individual looking to assert a particular identity and a particular affiliation with a desired group.
